1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf club heads which are designed to provide visual cues which promote certain desirable golf swing characteristics. More particularly, the present invention relates to a putter which is designed to promote the proper vertical arc for the putting swing.
2. Description of Related Art
Golf clubs come in a wide variety of designs and configurations. The three basic types of golf clubs are the woods or distance clubs, the irons and the putters. All three club types include a club head body having a front face for striking the ball and a hosel for connecting the club head body to the golf club shaft. Although the different types of clubs include the same basic elements, they vary drastically in structure and shape. The woods and irons are used to propel the ball in the air at distances ranging from a few yards up to 300 yards and more. The swing for these clubs is usually a full swing where the club head is moving at a rapid speed. Even when partial swings are made for short shots, the club head is moving very rapidly. In contrast to the irons and woods, the putter is used almost exclusively on the green to tap the ball into the cup from short distances. Putting is an exact art requiring a relatively slow swing. Putting can be one of the most difficult parts of the game because of the preciseness required for the stroke. It is extremely important that the stroke technique used in putting be capable of providing reproducible accuracy and control.
The pendulum putting stroke is recognized by the majority of golfers as being a desirable stroking method. Pendulum stroking is where the putter, hands, arms and shoulders move together in unison having a stationary point of rotation at the top of the spine. The stroke is called pendulum because it is similar to the motion of the pendulum of a clock. Like the movement of the pendulum of a clock, the pendulum stroke creates a vertical arc.
The vertical arc of the pendulum stroke includes the backstroke, the downstroke and the throughstroke. An important feature of the pendulum stroke is that the putter naturally elevates off the ground on the backstroke, descends and accelerates back to the ball on the downstroke and ascends and decelerates on the throughstroke. Pendulum stroking differs from striking the ball in that the forward movement of the putter is continuous from its starts to its completion at the follow-through. Inherent in the pendulum stroke is the smooth, continuous and accelerating movement of the putter which results in reproducible accuracy and control. The golfer's concentration during the pendulum stroke is on moving the putter with the result being that the ball becomes an indirect receptor of the stroking motion.
Many golfers tend to pull the putter back horizontally during the backstroke. This horizontal movement prevents the golfer from performing a pendulum-type stroke where the putter naturally elevates vertically during the backstroke. Horizontal movement of the club head causes horizontal hitting of the ball instead of the desired pendulum stroking. Such horizontal hitting is difficult to control and, as a result, putting accuracy and control suffer.
Existing putter designs have done nothing to correct the above-mentioned putting swing defect. Instead, present putter designs tend to promote a horizontal back swing. For example, present putters position the hosel parallel to the striking face of the putter. This arrangement emphasizes the substantially vertical putting face and promotes horizontal movement of the putter during both the back swing and front swing. Instead of correcting horizontal hitting of the ball, the visual cue provided by the vertical putting face and interconnected parallel hosel further promotes this undesirable horizontal hitting.
The top surfaces on existing putters are designed exclusively to provide ball alignment and horizontal positioning. The top surfaces typically include any number of arrows or cue lines which are designed to help the golfer line up the putt. In order to provide such visual alignment information, the putter's top face usually includes a substantial flat area. This flat area may be helpful in providing alignment indicia; however, the flat surface also provides a visual image which promotes an undesirable horizontal back swing. As a result, the benefits of proper alignment provided by such flat top putter is lessened because the golfer tends to pull the putter straight back, thereby destroying the desired pendulum swing.
It would be desirable to provide a putter having a configuration which visually promotes the desired pendulum putting stroke. The putter should not only promote the pendulum putting stroke, but should also promote continuous and smooth acceleration of the putter during the forward stroke prior to ball contact. Further, the putter should provide these benefits without lessening the golfer's ability to align and position the putter prior to initiating the stroke.